As rugby supporters eagerly await the outcome of this weekend's third and deciding test match between Australia and the British & Irish Lions, how many will know the name of the actual trophy to be awarded to the 2013 test series winners.
Well, it is called the 'Tom Richards Cup', but are you any wiser? Read on … Firstly, the life of Tom 'Rusty' Richards' was quite remarkable, and his exploits phenomenal, and besides being the only player to have played for both the Wallabies and the Lions, he was also the son of a Cornishman.
A breakaway forward, Tom was born in a rough mining camp called Vegetable Creek, Australia, in 1882, the son of John Richards, a Cornish-born miner, and his wife Mary Ann, nee Davis.
In 1905, Tom, along with other members of the family, followed his father to the South African goldfields. Joining the Mines team, he was surrounded by Cornishmen, including Redruth's half-back Jim 'Maffer' Davey who later played for England.
Tom and Jim both played for Transvaal in the Currie Cup. Ineligible to play for South Africa, who would tour Britain in 1906-07, Tom had a sudden desire to play against them on English soil, so he sailed from Durban bound for the 'Mother Country', and on arrival joined Bristol.
Despite not being resident in England for the required period of time, Tom was selected for Gloucestershire, and he did indeed play against the South African tourists, who were taken aback to see him. Hearing of plans for an Australian team to visit Britain, Tom soon returned home with an aim to achieve selection for the tour, and play for the Wallabies.
His elder brother Bill had played for Australia, and after impressing for Queensland Tom gained the selection he sought, playing against Wales and England – and for the gold-medal-winning Australia team that played Cornwall at the London Olympic Games in 1908.
Invited as county champions to represent England in the games, Cornwall lost 32-3 to the Wallabies in the 'final' played at a foggy White City Stadium. They were actually the only two teams that took part in the competition, but at least Cornwall had the satisfaction of winning a silver medal.
In 1909 'Rusty' captained and coached the Charters Towers team in Australia, but his wanderlust had not diminished and he soon set sail for South Africa once more.
As it worked out, Dr Tom Smythe's British team toured South Africa in 1910, where they lost a number of players injured. Now, you've probably guessed what happened next, although it takes some believing – but it is true. 'Rusty' was invited to join the tourists, listed as a Bristol player, and he made 12 appearances, including two tests for Britain versus South Africa.
From 1911 to 1913, Tom played in Australia and toured North America as vice-captain of the Waratahs (1912). He was in the Australian team for the 'All America' test, and then returned to England – touring the south of France with the East Midlands in 1913. Tom helped train France for their match against Wales in Paris and he also played for Toulouse. He lived briefly in Biarritz before returning to Sydney where in August, 1913, he retired from rugby and wrote for the 'Sydney Morning Herald, the 'Referee' and other newspapers.
It was perhaps no surprise that when he enlisted in World War 1 he gave his occupation as 'traveller', which suited him perfectly. One of the original 'Anzacs', Tom served right through the Gallipoli campaign.
An avid writer and able journalist, in 1915 when on his way to Gallipoli as a member of the 1st Field Ambulance, Tom wrote "I don't feel the coming danger any more than I have felt anxious before an international football (rugby) match." A few hours later the first of 8,141 Australians, including several 'Wallabies', were killed in the Dardanelles campaign, but the great survivor lasted that day, and more, and when he was later sent to the Western Front his outstanding courage under German fire earned him the Military Cross.
Having mentioned at the beginning that Tom was the son of John Richards, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could confirm where in Cornwall John was born? Does anyone out there have any knowledge or ideas on how this could be checked out?
Apparently John left Cornwall for Melbourne and the Victorian goldfields in 1868, perhaps from Bosullow, near Newbridge, Penzance, although it has been impossible to verify this to date - there would have been many John Richards about Cornwall at that time (as now!).
However, what we do know for certain is that Tom's family roots were very much in Cornwall, enough to give any Cornishman pride with concern to his exploits, as an incredible rugby player and war hero, and an Olympian.
'Rusty' died in 1935 from tuberculosis, and it was in 2001 that the trophy for Rugby tests between Australia and the British & Irish Lions was named the Tom Richards Cup, to thus honour the only player to have represented both sides. In 2005, Tom was further honoured as one of the inaugural five inductees into the Australian Rugby Union's Hall of Fame.
The ARU President Paul McLean commented at the time: "Tom Richards was an extraordinary character whom 'The Times' described in 1908 as the first man to be picked on Earth if we were ever to play Mars!" He was, indeed, an incredible man.
* Anyone with any information regarding the history of Tom 'Rusty' Richards can contact Phil Westren at the Cornish Pirates on 01736 335371 or email Phil.Westren@cornish-pirates.com
